Fluid-agitator.



PATENTED MAR. 31, 190 3.

No nonni..

NiTED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALICE P. BARNEY, CF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FLU I D-AG ITATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 23,977, dated March 31 1903.

A Application filed July 3, 1902. Serial No. 114,249. (No model.) l

vented certain new and useful Improvements` in Fluid-Agitators, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for automatically agitating fluids, and particularly to that class of liuids which are usually cooked or treated in domestic boilers or cooking-receptacles.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved device by which a slow agitation or stirring of liquids, such as soups, while the same are in the process of being cooked in the pots, boilers, or Vother vessels especially adapted for that purposemay be secured in a highly convenient and effective manner.

My device is sov constructed that the stirring-shaft thereof may be raised and lowered to accommodate the depth of the fluid, as also Vessels of varying depths, the same being effected in a simple yet most advantageous manner.

The device, furthermore, is so constructed that in the cooking process the heat rising from the fluid will not have placed in its pathway any sudden obstacle by reason of which the heat will be deflected back into the receptacle; but by my invention an open framework is presented and so constructed and arranged that the rising heat can easily and uninterruptedly wend its way upward into the open air.

My device is also readily attachable and detachable to and from the top of any receptacle and may be left in operation as long as desired and then very quickly and easily removed. j

It consist-s of a support which is adapted to be clamped onto the periphery of a receptacle and has a shaft to which are attached propeller-blades at the lower endV thereof in such a manner that the blades are immersed inthe fluid. The shaft is revolved by a train of gears operated from a sim ple clockwork mechanism, all of which are attached to the support or frame of the device.

In order that the device may be operated in any size of vessel, the frame of the support may have extensible arms thereon which are adapted to fasten the support to the periphery. The stirring-blades of the device may be adjusted laterally on the shaft to accommodate vessels of Vvarying diameter.

Further details of my invention will be eX- plained in the following description, taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, in all of which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts.

ln'the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my devicerattachedsto the ordinary kettle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the ekettle having the device attached and shown partly in section. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the kettle and a modification of the device, showing a particular vertical adjustment of the shaft.' Fig. 4 is a plan section takenk on the line Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of one of the clamping-arms,showing the same extensible.

Referring to Figs. l to 5, inclusive, A represents the kettle or boiler, and B the agitator or stirrer,which is made up of the three springarms E, which are brought attheir upper ends to a common. center at the collar a. These arms spread outwardly and downwardly and terminatejin knuckles b, which are adapted to press against the side of the kettle 'when the arms are sprung over the beaded edge thereof. Inside of the arms E is suspended the plate c, which is fastened to the. arms E by the.downwardly-projecting arms d. The plate c is'circular, but of a less diameter than the periphery of the kettle, and is located considerably above the top thereof, so as to leave the top of the receptacleopen to the atmosphere, and in order not to present a large surface over the top of the heated fluid the plate chas an opening there in, or, in other words, has a skeleton frame. The center of this plato is perforated, as is also the collar a, to furnish bearings for the shaft C. The lower portionY of the shaft C contains a plurality of sockets extending laterally therefrom in dierent directions, so as to permit the lateral adjustments of the blades D. These blades are fastened in position in' the socket by set-screws f. The bearing-collar g is adj ustably fastened to the shaft C by the set-screw g. This bearing-collar .rests upon the plate c and supports the shaft C in lOO it-s bearing. The clockwork F rests upon the plate c and operates the gear-wheel G, which is in mesh with the pinion H, fastened to the bottom of the collar h on the shaft C. The upper end of the shaft C terminates in the hall fi, and by loosening the set-screws 7L' and g the sh aft, tn ay be raised and lowered th rough the bearings in the collar a and plate c to any desired position in order to properly locate the blades D within the fluid. In Fig. 3 this vertical adjustment is facilitated by the pinion 7i: and rack I. This rack is fastened to the shafts C bythe set-screw Z and is held in the frame by the collar a and the pinion 7c. Thus by loosening the set-screws h and g' the rack may be readily raised and lowered hy the pinion 7c, thus permittiusr a most delicate adjustment of the shaft C, it' desired. 'lhe arms E may have a socket in their ends to permit. the adjustment of the extension E. This extension may he slid longitudinallyin the socket and fastened iu any desired position by the set-scre\ve' to obtain any desired length for the arms in order to attach the snpport to any-size vessel. By this construction it may be readily seen that the spring-motor F when started will revolve the blades D Within the fluid ol the receptacle through the me dium ot' the pinions g 7L and shaft C.

It is not necessary in the construction of the device to have any of the adjustments described, for the same may he made to tit one size of vessel, if desired. Neither is it necessary to utilize any particular style of motor, for in some cases it may be desirable to use other styles than those illustratedas, for instance, an electric motor. The n10- tor maybe adjusted to run at any desired speed.

Although I have used various terms throughout this specificationsuch as kettle, vessel, clockwoi-k, clamps, tre-yet I do not Wish to be limited by the use of any such terms and reserve the right to use any of the Well-known equivalen ts thereof. Neither do I Wish to be limited to any particular material in the construction of my device and may use a non-conducting material, such as Wood, Wherever I find it expedient.

I am aware that in the art prior to the present invention there existed devices for agitating fluids automatically as Well as by hand; but such is not, broadly, my invention, which resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts producing the improved results set forth, and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a device for agitating fluids, the combination with the open-work supporting-frame comprising a plurality of spring clampingr members E, provided With knuckles l), and the open-Work frame-plate c suspended from said spring clamping members at points intermediate the extremities of the latter so that when the device is attached to a fluidcontaining receptacle said frame-plate will be located at a distance above the mouth of such receptacle, of the shaft C journaled in the supporting-frame and adapted to project into a {luid-containing receptacle when the device is in position, means on the lower end of the shaft for agitating iuids, and means located upon the frame-plate c for communieating motion to the shaft C, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALICE P. BARNEY.

Vitnesses:

FREDERIC D. MCKENNEY, GEORGE E. SULLIVAN. 

